Latest news with #FloridaAquarium
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Scientists seek to save Florida's dying reefs with hardy nursery-grown coral
A taskforce of experts looking into the mass bleaching and decline of Florida's delicate coral reefs is planting more than 1,000 nursery-grown juveniles from the reef-building elkhorn species in a new effort to reverse the tide of destruction. Record ocean heat in 2023 hastened the death spiral for reefs in the Florida Keys, which have lost 90% of their healthy coral cover over the last 40 years, largely because of the climate emergency, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (Noaa). Marine biologists from the Keys Marine Laboratory of the University of South Florida (USF) partnered with scientists from Tampa's Florida Aquarium to develop a large-scale restoration project involving elkhorn coral, which is critically endangered but also one of the fastest-growing and most resilient species. Earlier this month, the USF facility in Long Key, halfway along the ecologically fragile Florida Keys island chain, took delivery of 1,050 young elkhorn corals spawned between 2022 and 2023 at the aquarium's conservation and research center in Apollo Beach. The corals are acclimatizing in temperature-regulated seawater beds in Long Key. They will be distributed to research partners including the Coral Restoration Foundation, the Mote Marine Laboratory, Reef Renewal USA, and Sustainable Oceans and Reefs for planting at seven designated offshore sites around the Keys during the next two months. Teams will monitor their progress over the following months and years. While project managers say not all will survive, they hope some of the juveniles will thrive and grow, and the knowledge gleaned will help better inform future recovery efforts. 'Maybe there will only be 100 out there a year from now, but even if it's only one out of a hundred that survives that's particularly tough, we can propagate that one,' said Cindy Lewis, director of the Keys Marine Laboratory. 'We hope there will be some resistant babies in that batch. What I do know is that if we do nothing, we'll have done nothing, and nothing will happen.' Noaa says elkhorn branches can grow up to almost 4in (10cm) a year, and the species is particularly resilient to high wave action. They grow on larger, foundation coral species such as boulder star coral and brain coral to provide what Lewis calls a 'jungle gym' for fish and other marine life. Their planting along the Keys will also represent the closing of a circle, because the parent corals from which they were spawned were 'rescued' from the ocean ahead of the 2023 mass bleaching event. Biologists at the Florida Aquarium served as de facto matchmakers for the elkhorn corals, which were spawned to be as genetically diverse as possible. 'The coral juveniles we just transferred are made up of many new mother and father combinations that we hope will be more resilient to future stressors,' Keri O'Neil, director of the aquarium's coral conservation program, said. 'Without human intervention, these parent corals would not be able to breed due to the extent of the loss. They're a sign that, even during a crisis, we can make a difference. By working together we're protecting a reef that's essential to our environment, our economy and the thousands of species that call it home.' Lewis said the elkhorn project was a small component of a vast wider effort by numerous universities, environmental groups, and state and federal partners to try to restore as much lost coral as possible. 'Elkhorn is just one species of coral. Our partners are doing this for staghorn coral and others – the brain corals, star corals and boulder corals, the massive corals that build the mountains of reefs that these elkhorn and staghorn live on,' she said. 'All these different organizations produced over 25,000 pieces of coral this winter to put out on the reef that are going to make a difference, along with our elkhorn. 'Even though it seems dismal and depressing, the ray of hope is that we can produce these corals, we can get these corals out there, and that everybody has banded together to work together. No one organization is going to do it all. We need everybody, and we need everybody's ideas.'
The Guardian
24-05-2025
- Science
- The Guardian
Scientists seek to save Florida's dying reefs with hardy nursery-grown coral
A taskforce of experts looking into the mass bleaching and decline of Florida's delicate coral reefs is planting more than 1,000 nursery-grown juveniles from the reef-building elkhorn species in a new effort to reverse the tide of destruction. Record ocean heat in 2023 hastened the death spiral for reefs in the Florida Keys, which have lost 90% of their healthy coral cover over the last 40 years, largely because of the climate emergency, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (Noaa). Marine biologists from the Keys Marine Laboratory of the University of South Florida (USF) partnered with scientists from Tampa's Florida Aquarium to develop a large-scale restoration project involving elkhorn coral, which is critically endangered but also one of the fastest-growing and most resilient species. Earlier this month, the USF facility in Long Key, halfway along the ecologically fragile Florida Keys island chain, took delivery of 1,050 young elkhorn corals spawned between 2022 and 2023 at the aquarium's conservation and research center in Apollo Beach. The corals are acclimatizing in temperature-regulated seawater beds in Long Key. They will be distributed to research partners including the Coral Restoration Foundation, the Mote Marine Laboratory, Reef Renewal USA, and Sustainable Oceans and Reefs for planting at seven designated offshore sites around the Keys during the next two months. Teams will monitor their progress over the following months and years. While project managers say not all will survive, they hope some of the juveniles will thrive and grow, and the knowledge gleaned will help better inform future recovery efforts. 'Maybe there will only be 100 out there a year from now, but even if it's only one out of a hundred that survives that's particularly tough, we can propagate that one,' said Cindy Lewis, director of the Keys Marine Laboratory. 'We hope there will be some resistant babies in that batch. What I do know is that if we do nothing, we'll have done nothing, and nothing will happen.' Noaa says elkhorn branches can grow up to almost 4in (10cm) a year, and the species is particularly resilient to high wave action. They grow on larger, foundation coral species such as boulder star coral and brain coral to provide what Lewis calls a 'jungle gym' for fish and other marine life. Their planting along the Keys will also represent the closing of a circle, because the parent corals from which they were spawned were 'rescued' from the ocean ahead of the 2023 mass bleaching event. Biologists at the Florida Aquarium served as de facto matchmakers for the elkhorn corals, which were spawned to be as genetically diverse as possible. 'The coral juveniles we just transferred are made up of many new mother and father combinations that we hope will be more resilient to future stressors,' Keri O'Neil, director of the aquarium's coral conservation program, said. Sign up to Down to Earth The planet's most important stories. Get all the week's environment news - the good, the bad and the essential after newsletter promotion 'Without human intervention, these parent corals would not be able to breed due to the extent of the loss. They're a sign that, even during a crisis, we can make a difference. By working together we're protecting a reef that's essential to our environment, our economy and the thousands of species that call it home.' Lewis said the elkhorn project was a small component of a vast wider effort by numerous universities, environmental groups, and state and federal partners to try to restore as much lost coral as possible. 'Elkhorn is just one species of coral. Our partners are doing this for staghorn coral and others – the brain corals, star corals and boulder corals, the massive corals that build the mountains of reefs that these elkhorn and staghorn live on,' she said. 'All these different organizations produced over 25,000 pieces of coral this winter to put out on the reef that are going to make a difference, along with our elkhorn. 'Even though it seems dismal and depressing, the ray of hope is that we can produce these corals, we can get these corals out there, and that everybody has banded together to work together. No one organization is going to do it all. We need everybody, and we need everybody's ideas.'
Axios
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Axios
Your last-minute guide to celebrating mom in Tampa Bay
If you're still looking for Mother's Day plans, we've got you. Here are a few last-minute ways to celebrate. 🖼️ Tampa Bay museums and aquariums are offering discounts for moms this weekend, including the Florida Aquarium, the Clearwater Marine Aquarium, the Tampa Museum of Art and the James Museum of Western and Wildlife Art. The Dalí Museum in St. Pete will also offer discounted admission on Sunday in honor of Salvador Dalí's birthday. 😻 Has Mom always wanted a pet? Bring her to SPCA Tampa Bay in Largo, which is offering half-price pet adoptions Friday through Sunday. They've got 20 cats, 40 dogs and 15 small animals available for adoption, per a press release. 🥂 Nothing says "Mother's Day" like brunch. Here are a couple of unique options: Brunch at TreeTop Kitchen: Get up close and personal with Busch Garden's animal ambassadors while enjoying a buffet of sweet and savory bites. 1pm Sunday. $69.99 for adults, $44.99 for children 5-9. Goat Yoga and Mimosas: This event has it all: baby goats, yoga, brunch specials, and bottomless mimosas, bloody marys and Shock Top tall boys. $55, includes goat yoga and bottomless drinks. 9am-2:30pm at The Blind Goat in Tampa. 💐 Why buy a bouquet when you can make one? Dwell Home Market on Saturday is hosting a floral-arranging workshop, while Corner Club and Oxford Exchange will have flower bars on hand to make the perfect bouquet on Friday and Sunday, respectively. Click the links for tickets to each event. 🥐 For the fashionista moms: Feel like a Parisian here in St. Pete with the " Passport to Paris" luxury fashion show, also featuring live music, art, snacks and champagne. $125. 11am-2pm Saturday in The Sundial plaza.
Yahoo
10-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Penguins waddle the halls of Florida capitol seeking needed state funding
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WFLA) — There was an overwhelming amount of cuteness at the state capitol this week. The Florida Aquarium, alongside their tuxedoed ambassadors gathered at the statehouse, asking for critical funding to build barrier walls after last year's hurricanes left their mark on the facility. 'Attack hawks' cause trouble at Sarasota business 'Moving our animals and their safety was most important to us,' said Camryn Ritter with the Florida Aquarium. 'Where our Penguins live on the Florida Aquarium property was definitely going to be subjected to storm surge, and with this last summer of hurricanes, it was definitely very imperative that we got them to safe higher ground.' Hurricanes Helene and Milton caused record-breaking storm surges, bringing floodwaters right up to the Florida Aquarium's doors. This put many animals at risk, and now those very penguins are waddling through the halls in Tallahassee, calling on lawmakers to consider funding in this year's state budget to help protect them from future storms at the aquarium's downtown Tampa campus. 'The location of the aquarium is right on the port of Tampa Bay,' Ritter said. 'I think it does just inherently have a space where it's so close to rising storm waters that this type of legislature participation, with us moving forward with this big expansion, I think is really going to be impactful to the safety and security going forward.' During Helene and Milton, animals and habitats at the aquarium had to relocate and be rescued from the storm floodwater that came rushing through. The aquarium is now asking for funding to build flood barrier walls and renovate exterior entrances, all to help protect Florida's aquatic-life. 8 On Your Side sat down with aquarium staff and asked them how the conversations have been so far with lawmakers at the state capitol. 'I think everybody really understands the impacts and wants to protect our animals and the critical infrastructure that we have,' said Katrina Cox, The Florida Aquarium. Bay area lawmakers, State Senator Danny Burgess and Representative Karen Gonzalez Pittman, teamed up this year to ask their colleagues to consider the 1-million-dollar appropriations request. Lawmakers are now halfway through the legislative session and the state's budget is top of mind for many of them. And as those negotiations continue to advance, the aquarium and its fury friends are hoping they are a part of that conversation. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Penguins come to the Capitol
Archibold is an African penguin brought to the Capitol to bring attention to a budget appropriation for the Florida Aquarium on April 9, 2025. (Photo by Mitch Perry/Florida Phoenix) State lawmakers have placed thousands of appropriations in the respective House and Senate proposed budgets this year in Tallahassee — so how to get some attention for one particular project? Bring penguins. That's what the staff at the Florida Aquarium in Tampa did Wednesday, bringing four penguins to the Capitol for lawmakers, staff, and reporters to get a glimpse of. It brought attention to the budget appropriation made by Tampa Republican Rep. Karen Gonzalez Pittman in the House and Tampa Bay-area Republican Danny Burgess in the Senate for $1 million for the aquarium's storm and flood protection project, which is designed to provide total perimeter protection for animal habitats and life-support systems against wind and flood damage. 'Because we are building and investing in this large outdoor habitat, for not only our African penguins but we'll have California sea lions out there as well, with all the recent impacts from the hurricanes that we had this past fall, we're really looking forward to being able to have a more resilient outdoor space, so we're seeking funding for a seawall that will protect us during those times,' said Emily Vazir, development coordinator at the Florida Aquarium. That project is just part of the $45 million expansion that the aquarium has been working on since 2023 and expects to complete in 2026. Archibold, or Archi, was on display at Senate Majority Leader Jim Byrd's office on Wednesday. At 4 years old, Archi is the youngest penguin in the aquarium colony, according to Vazir. There are nine at the facility. Three other penguins accompanied Archi in making the visit to the Capitol. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
